On The Way Down
by iamthechar
Summary: The battle has ended, Vegnagun is defeated. What will life be like for Rikku after the Gullwings go their separate ways? Rated T for later chapters. Spoilers and future RikkuGippal.
1. Sunset

Note: This story was created by me and edited by my dear friend Hazel. I wrote it based on what I envisioned happening at the very end of Final Fantasy X2. There are spoilers so consider yourself warned.

I do apologize if the information about the characters or anything else is in any way incorrect or confusing, I have a poor memory of what happened during the game.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Final Fantasy X or X2 characters, so there.

* * *

**On The Way Down**

**Sunset**

* * *

_Two years had passed since the defeat of Sin. Sin was a nightmare of destruction and death that haunted the dreams of the innocent. It devastated the people of Spira, repeatedly throwing them into grief and despair for over a thousand years. The slight hope of being rescued from this downward spiral of death was slowly fading away. That is, until a young summoner by the name of Yuna and her six guardians, against all odds, stopped it once and for all; now Sin was nothing more than a memory._

_The Eternal Calm had left just as quickly as it had come, but then a new threat emerged from under Bevelle's surface. Vegnagun was a forbidden machine that was developed for one purpose: to destroy Sin. The ancient machine was never used in battle and remained dormant beneath Spira's soil until it was claimed again by an unsent, whose only purpose of existence was to punish the world for his loss and pain. The weapon that was meant to defend and protect Spira from danger had quickly turned into the enemy. Once again, it was up to Yuna and her company to rescue the people of her beloved home from this new terror._

At last, the fighting has finally come to an end. The Calm will be able to continue…or will it?

"Maybe it will actually last longer this time." Rikku said quietly to herself as she stood alone on the sandy white beach of Besaid. The normally quiet village of was celebrating the defeat of Vegnagun and the return of their high summoner and the Gullwings. There was music and dancing that could be heard from miles away. All of Spira was celebrating at that moment, except for one person. It wasn't like Rikku wasn't happy about the outcome of the day's events, not at all. She had other things on her mind that she didn't want to share with anyone, not yet anyway.

There was gentle breeze that was so soft it made Rikku shiver with pleasure when it floated past her body and through her hair. The sun was setting into the ocean, making the water glisten endlessly. All the different hues of red were painted into the sky, making the clouds look as if they were on fire. The scene was surreal.

The beach seemed like a quiet place to just get away from everyone else, to be alone and reflect on things for awhile, but her idea was not as original as she thought. There appeared to be two other people who decided to take advantage of the deserted area as well.

She breathed in the fresh flowing air around her and silently watched the couple in the distance that was Yuna and Tidus, sitting together near the water's edge. They both looked so serene as they reminisced over the two years that led up to this point in time.

It had only been a few hours ago when Yunie was reunited with her lost love and yet there they were, in their own world, lost in conversation as if two years had never passed between them. Rikku smiled to herself as she watched them. _This is how it should be. This is how it should have been before._ Rikku was lost in her own thoughts and didn't hear the footsteps of the dark figure approach her from behind, and settle in the sand at her side. She didn't even acknowledge its presence at all until it spoke to her.

"What exactly are you looking at?" came the demanding voice of Paine, who had unintentionally startled the spaced-out blonde. She followed Rikku's gaze to see Yuna and Tidus sitting together a few yards away watching the sun melt into the horizon.

"Well they certainly are a cute couple now aren't they?" Rikku recovered from

her surprise and nodded her head in agreement.

"Mhmm…they sure are." Rikku turned her head slightly to see Paine standing next to her, arms folded sternly across her chest, and her face emotionless like always. She couldn't help letting her mind wander to a new topic of conversation. She was still curious and just had to know.

"So...what about you, hmm?" She inquired.

"What about me?"

"Do you have a special someone waiting for you?" Rikku asked, while biting her bottom lip to keep from smiling. She gave Paine a gentle nudge in the left arm with her elbow, trying to encourage her to spill her heart out. Paine gave smirk.

She knew where this was going, they'd already had this conversation before. She decided that she wasn't going to make it any easier this time. She could play along with this little game but only to twist it to her own advantage.

"I'll tell if you do first," was the reply. She turned her head sideways to take a look at Rikku's slightly-flushed expression. There was a pause.

"Uh..." was all Rikku could manage to say when her mind recalled a certain charismatic, sunny-haired young man with an omniscient attitude and an ego bigger then Vegnagun itself. She realized her face was burning with embarrassment as she thought about Gippal.

"I.. I have nothing to tell! Honestly!" She squeaked out while throwing her hands

up and waving them in defense

"Right." Paine let out a soft chuckle before turning her head away from the stuttering blonde to take in the view before her once again. "Neither do I then."

"Oh come on, That's not fair at all!" Rikku stomped her foot into the sand. She was letting her impatience get the best of her but she couldn't help being curious, especially when it came to Paine's mysterious love life. She wanted a straight answer for once, but it was obvious that she was going to have to try a little harder.

"So _sorry_ to disappoint you." Paine said, letting her words reek of sarcasm.

"I'll give you a cookie if you tell me." Rikku is the optimistic type. Bribing someone wasn't exactly in her nature, but it seemed like this particular occasion called for it.

"Freshly baked chocolate chip ones, made by yours truly!" She held her hands together behind her back and leaned forward giving Paine the most innocent smile that she could muster. She was positive that the bribe would work, how could anyone pass up a cookie?

"I'll have to pass on that. I wouldn't touch your cooking with a ten-foot walking stick," was the reply. Rikku's grin faltered as she scoffed. "And I mean that in the best possible way." Paine concluded.

"Humph...yeah right meanie." Rikku grumbled, letting her arms drop to her sides in defeat and sulked silently. "My cooking's not that horrible," she mumbled to herself.

"Besides," Paine continued again, "if you can recall, this conversation already lost you respect points and you don't want to lose anymore do you?"

"No, no! I promise I'm done being nosey." Panic had risen in Rikku's voice.

"Good."

"For today anyway," She added. Paine rolled her eyes.

"Fine then."

The sun had almost vanished completely now and the couple sitting in the distance had already stood up and started to walk farther along the beach in the other direction. Rikku couldn't help but stare after them with a frown. There was still that one thing that was on her mind, a question that needed an answer. She needed to hear the answer from Paine. Depression had slowly settled into her good mood and she was trying her best not to let it show when she asked.

"What happeneds now?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Are you talking to me? Because you really should speak up," lectured Paine.

"Of course I'm talking to you, I'm not talking to myself you know!"

Paine snickered. "No, I don't know. You talk to yourself so often you don't realize you do it anymore."

"That's not true!" Rikku declared in defense.

"It is true. Now what were you saying before?" Paine finalized the argument.

Rikku blinked. It took her a few moments to recall what she had asked. "Uhm…what happens now?" she repeated more clearly, but with hesitation.

"What do you mean?" Paine had slight confusion in her tone. She didn't understand the meaning of Rikku's question and was annoyed with how slowly it was taking to get to the point.

"Well…Yunie found who she was looking for and you found the answers that _you_ were looking for…" She started but was having a difficult time finding the right words. She almost didn't want to hear the answer to the question she was about to ask.

"Uh-huh?" Paine was growing a little impatient at this point.

"So...what will happen to the Gullwings now that we have no spheres to search for anymore?" Rikku finally spat out, staring at the ground and kicking the sand below her. She was trying to ease her discomfort by occupying herself with an oddly shaped pebble in the sand.

"Hmmm," was the reply she received. Paine hadn't thought about it until now. "That's a difficult question."

Deep down they all knew what the answer was. It was inevitable.

The Gullwings would go their own separate ways now that their sphere hunting adventure was over with. There were no other spheres to find that they knew of. There weren't any more questions that needed to be answered, so what was the point in continuing on being a sphere hunter? Yuna would probably want to stay in Besaid. It was her childhood home; she grew up and became a summoner here. Why would she want to leave? Where else would she be able to go? Yes, Yuna would stay in Besaid and Tidus would stay with her. Paine, one could only assume, would go back to her home, wherever that might be. Just where the heck did Paine come from anyway? Now that was the question of the year. No one knew where Paine lived before she joined the Gullwings, or who her family was. She was about as social as a rock, so it wasn't like anyone could ask her about it.

They both stood in silence for a few minutes before Rikku spoke up again.

"So…what happens now?" She looked over at the other with teary green eyes, hoping Paine could give her any other kind of answer other than to reassure her that this wasn't the end of their adventures.

The actual question that she meant to ask was what happens to _me_ now? Rikku didn't really have anything to search for like Yunie and Paine did. She didn't know what to do with herself now that her family for the past few months would be parting ways. Where would she go? Where did she belong? Going back to her former home of Bikanel Island to dig seemed so boring to her. There had to be something else. Surely this couldn't be it.

Paine let out a sigh and turned around to start heading back to the village. Before she walked away she turned to the blonde and put her hand on her shoulder in a comforting way.

"I think…that's something you need to figure out for yourself." She said in a soft comforting tone. It was the best answer that she could give.

That said, Paine finally made her way back to the trail that would lead her to the celebrating village, leaving Rikku to drown in her own thoughts again. The sun had disappeared completely into the horizon by now but the sky was still barely lit by the lingering sunlight. The warm beach weather had turned cold as it became night.

Rikku stood frozen in place, hugging herself while starring into the darkening sky. She could just make out a couple of stars that were sparkling their way into view.

_Yeah. I guess I will have to figure it out for myself,_ she thought as she felt herself begin to cheer up. It looked to be the beginning of another adventure. She took one last glimpse at the brightest star in the sky before heading back to the village. She smiled. "This is only the beginning of _my_ story" she said to herself.

* * *

Ok so it starts out slow, very slow in fact, but it's my first fan fiction ever and there will be more action in later chapters. The fiction will turn out to be a typical Rikku/Gippal romance. I do realize that there are a lot of Rikku romance stories out there and I'll try to make mine as original as I possibly can, though that might be hard to do. Mine I think will turn out to be a little cliché but it's my first fiction so what the hey.

Reviews are appreciated and I would love to know if I've gone out of character in this chapter and in future chapters. So yell at me and I'll do my best to change it. I hate when good fanfictions go OOC.


	2. Denial

**Note:** Here we go again with chapter two of On The Way Down. I'm sorry it took me almost a year to put up this chapter. Life kind of got in the way and we all know how that goes. I'll try not to take so long on the next chapter. Oh yes, there will be another chapter if I can help it.

I've noticed a couple of mistakes while reading the story, so I've gone back and did my best to correct them. Yell at me if you see anymore and I'll go back and correct those too. Also, reviews are always nice, so don't be shy now.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters!

* * *

**On the Way Down**

**Chapter Two:**

Denial

* * *

"Shorty." 

"Cyclops."

"Peppy brat."

"Meanie!"

The taller blonde gave the shorter a quick flick on the nose.

"You know, you didn't do to bad back there, kid," Gippal said, referring to the fight against Vegnagun a few short hours ago. He placed a muscular arm on his newly founded arm rest; the top of Rikku's braided, blonde head.

"Thanks, but I'm not a kid anymore." Rikku stated while attempting to throw the taller blonde off of her. Though, her effort was futile.

He grinned. "Yeah, ok then, Cid's girl." Dismissing the topic, he gave her head a soft and swift pat.

"You're such a pain! Why can't you call me by my name?" She demanded furiously, for it's true that he'd never spoken her real name in a light conversation before. It seemed like it was only in battle when he ever used her name seriously. Figures.

"Thought I did?" He tried her patience by flashing her a quizzical look. She rewarded his sarcastic comment with a glare and an irritated twitch of her eye.

He snorted, "Hmm… Now where's the point in that?" he shrugged her glare off casually.

Smiling mischievously, he continued, "Nah, I like to see you all frustrated." She made a noise in response that sounded something like, "Pfft!"

After a short pause, he leaned over and whispered seductively into her ear, "It's more fun this way."

_Now he'd done it._

"Fun!" She questioned in a high-pitched squeak.

"You're an easy target."

"So it's "fun" to pick on me because you think you're all high and mighty, Mr. Tough guy?"

He thought about it. "Yeah, that works," He smiled.

"I'll show you fun! My fist in your face for being so damned-"

"Unbelievably handsome?" He cut her off while blowing at his finger nails, and brushing them lightly against his collar. He leaned farther onto his fuming arm rest while stretching his hand away from his face, providing him with a better view of his dirt inhabited finger nails. He tilted his head and ran his hand through his soft, spiky golden hair, smirking as he did so.

He always looked so damned cocky.

"No!"

Though, he did have a point. She glared defiantly and tightened her fists. Hoping he wouldn't notice her scarlet face, she turned on her heel to march away from her captor, causing Gippal to lose his balance in the process. After quickly composing himself, he reached out, grabbing a hold of her frail wrist and twisting her back around to face him again.

"Wait a second! What's the rush?" Rikku gasped in surprise at his sudden motion and directed a hard swing of her fist at Gippal's face. But with his amazingly quick reflexes (or dumb luck), he caught her arm one handedly before losing his other eye to it. Close call.

"My, my…have I struck a nerve?" He asked rhetorically, seemingly unfazed by her attack.

_Ya think?_

"Why can't you just go away?" She asked through gritted teeth. No matter how many times she swatted her hand at the annoying, buzzing fly around her head, it would never take the hint to just _buzz off._

He looked down at the squirming petite and pinched her cheek. "Are you blushing?" He asked, already knowing the obvious answer.

"I am not!" She yelled in protest, blushing even more.

"Denial." He stated obnoxiously.

"Just let go!" She pushed.

He chuckled and obeyed her demands, releasing his ironclad grip on her. "As you wish, Princess." He took a bow in front of her.

Princess?

"What?" She was temporarily puzzled.

_Déjà vu_

It was then when Rikku had a brief flashback of what seemed like ages ago. Black and white movie images that were her childhood past, raced through her mind as she tried to recollect the significance of that name.

_Princess..._

"_Let go!" A fragile, eight year old Rikku pushed at a scruffy looking, older blonde in the lightly tanned sand._

_It was a clear, warm sunny day in their home Island of Bikanel. They had previously been trying to fix what looked like one of Rikku's many broken gadgets, before she lost her patience and tore it away from the other._

"_I was only trying to help, you know." The nine year old Gippal tried to reassure her._

"_Trying to help break it more, you mean." She clutched the piece of metal in her arms protectively, as if it were a child._

"_Well if you weren't so stubborn and impatient then-"_

"_I am not either!"_

"_What is that thing for anyway?" He asked, changing the subject rather quickly._

_She looked from Gippal to the piece in her arms, and then back to him again. She stared hard into his big green eyes with her own, unsure whether or not to let him in on her secret._

"_It's uhm..." She stalled._

"_It's?"_

"_It's a piece Brother's new hover bike he crashed just yesterday." She spilled. _

"_You stole it."_

"_No." She corrected him," borrowed."_

"_...And you're trying to fix it." he stated, "Trying being the key word here."_

"_Oh, what do you know?" She took offence and stood ready to walk away._

"_I do know that you're a girl and you should be inside playing with dolls or...err something." He said to her backside. "Taking things apart and fixing them, getting dirty, eating bugs, that's all boy stuff. Go home and be a girl for once!" He yelled._

"_I don't have to play with dolls to be a girl!" She turned around and yelled back in the boys vs. girls screaming match._

"_And-" he continued, "go home and take a bath because you stink." He plugged his nose to mock her._

_Her dirt smudged cheeks, forehead, arms, legs, hair and even oil stained orange tank top, with pale green shorts were proof enough of that. She did kind of smell something of a machine factory. Very un-girly like. He always figured at his tender young age, that all girls were supposed to always smell clean and pleasant, like roses. Girls were supposed to be soft to the touch with bright rose cheeks, clean fingernails, and glimmering hair in the sunshine. Nothing at all like the greaseball mess stood in front of him. This was and would always be the Rikku he was going to grow up with and love. He probably wouldn't have her any other way._

_She scoffed._

"_I don't have to leave because this is my side of the desert." She stated rudely. She drew a crooked line in the middle of sandy patch between them. "You leave!"_

"_You can't do that."_

"_I can do whatever I want." She declared smugly while crossing her arms across her small chest. "My dad-"_

"_Just because your dad-" the golden haired boy emphasized "your" with a pointed finger in her direction, "is the leader of the Al Bhed, doesn't make you princess of Bikanel Island!"_

_She paused to think about the accusation. Yeah... Rikku, the Princess of Bikanel Island did have a nice ring to it._

"_It does so."_

_Gippal scoffed, "It does not!"_

"_Does so!"_

"_Does not."_

"_So."_

"_Not..."_

"You remembered that." she said in disbelief.

"How could anyone forget a spoiled, demanding, blonde little brat like you," he teased while patting her head again.

"I am not!" Shaking out of her amazement, she swatted at his hand. Those were the days of the calm where kids like themselves had no worries of the troubles adults had. Playing all day out in the open desert sands with their peers, without the responsibilities of preparing for war with Sin, was a privilege. It only lasts for so long, after all. Taking advantage of it, even wasting the day by fighting over a mere toy with Gippal, was worth it. Even her outfit had changed considerably since then. It was out with the old pale green shorts and in with the new yellow bikini and pale green mini skirt that complimented her womanly features very well.She'd changed very much in what seemed like such a short time.

"Why do you have to be so mean?" She whined.

"I'm not. You're just taking it the wrong way." He shrugged and glanced down at her confused expression."It's because you're Cid's kid," he explained with a heavy sigh, " It's my right to give his little girl a hard time. I have to toughen you up."

_So you're being stupid to toughen me up? Right. _

"You don't pick on Brother." She accused.

"Because I know he can kick my ass if I get him going." he chuckled and folded both hands behind his head.

"And I can't!" She shouted angrily. "You-" She jabbed her finger to his chest for good measure and intimidation, " are just bitter."

"And how so?" He said while crossing his own arms over his masculine chest, waiting for her reasoning for her accusation.

"You are a bitter jerk who can't stand the fact that it was three girly girls, including yours truly, who destroyed Vegnagun, and succeeded where you failed miserably." She grinned smartly.

_Oh yeah, she could play dirty too. Score one for Rikku!_

"Keep telling yourself that short stuff, and maybe if you pinch yourself a few times you'll wake up from your little dreamland." He added, "And by the way, it was Nooge and me who weakened Vegnagun in the first place before you and your little girlfriends took over."

"I did you a favor if you ask me."

"If you make one more reference to my height again and I swear-"

"Short-E." He tempted with a wicked grin.

At that exact moment of frustration, irritation and annoyance, Rikku had planned to take a quick step forward and pound him for his last "short" comment because friend or foe, she could still kick his would be sorry arse across Spira, and did he ever need a whooping after talking about Paine and Yunnie like he was. The arrogant ass! But she, unfortunately, didn't quite get as far as she would have liked.

_(Damned boot laces…)_

What happened within a blink of an eye really seemed like an eternity to Rikku. Her whole world froze and all that she could comprehend now was how much her face hurt. Why did her face hurt anyway? How come she was on the ground? Was that dirt she could feel in her mouth, up her nose, and in her brain? And was that Gippal laughing in the background? Laughing… hysterically…

_Oh..._

Gravity had never really been a friend of hers. All she wanted to do was stay frozen, face first in the dirt, where she lay and let the rather embarrassing realization sink in for the rest of her life. Could she just die now? Please? Maybe she would suffocate. Maybe she would disappear. Maybe by some miracle Gippal didn't see her ungraceful fall and was only laughing at a joke a mere passerby had told.

What seemed like ages later, Gippal's unnatural, annoying laughter eventually did cease and all was silent. He stared at the former Gullwing lying at his feet and blinked for a moment.

"Uhm..." He cleared his throat

_Maybe not..._

Another moment of silence passed. "Are you ok?" He asked hesitantly again to the motionless lump known to be Rikku, who's body was embedded in the ground.

"Rikku?"

"Nmph," was the muffled response.

"Come again?" He crouched down to her still form while tilting his head and gave her a good poke in the ribs.

"Nmph!"

"O-kay, this isn't working." He reached out for her with both hands, lifting her head gently and placing it to lie on one side, making her face himself now.

"I asked, are you okay?" He repeated with more sympathy in his husky voice. Her glistening eyes momentarily looked up into his before she spat out the dirt residing in her mouth, unintentionally onto Gippal's face and ruining the semi-romantic moment completely.

"Thanks," he said while absently wiping the mixture of spit/dirt/mud from his face and onto his shoulder.

"I-hic-hurt." She whined and hiccupped in unison.

"Well yeah I'd say so considering you just bit it." She pouted.

He took his hand to remove the stray hair from her eyes and dirt smudged cheek and asked.

"Can you sit up?"

She stubbornly refrained from answering him and he took the hint. Though she was reluctant to sit straight on her own, he managed to get her up without her help anyway. Gippal tried to stifle a laugh upon observing her.

"Well you don't look much different than you did ten years ago."

"Shut up," she whispered, avoiding looking him in the eye. She sat on her legs and straightened out her pale green mini skirt.

"Aww, come on. It really is pretty funny when you think about it." He smiled at her, trying to lighten the awkward mood they were now in.

She grudgingly proceeded to dust the dirt off her arms and down her well tanned front. She touched her face as she spoke. "Funny to watch I'm sure." She winced.

"You know I wasn't serious about all that Vegnagun talk, right?" He tried to sound comforting and apologetic.

He frowned at the new cut that appeared on her right cheek. "Looks like you've got yourself a battle wound there, slugger," he said, which in that moment began to bleed.

"Here." He took her face gently with both hands, one resting on her left cheek to prevent her from squirming and the other placed on her chin. He tilted her head to the left, placing the small cut in his view.

"What are you-"

"Shh, just wait a second," he ordered.

"It's really noth-"

"Shush!"

"Tch," she scoffed.

Maybe it was guilt that caused Gippal to be so quick to help her out now. After all, it was his fault for belittling her (oh he knew what he was doing!) It was his fault for talking about Rikku and her friends, which ultimately was what had pissed her off. It was his fault that she tripped and landed flat on her face, making a complete ass out of herself. It was his fault that her laces were untied in the first place. It was his fault that the inside of her mouth currently tasted like the bottom of a shoe. It was his fault that her face hurt. It was his fault that she was covered in dirt and grime now. All of it was his fault and damn right he should feel guilty!

She ceased all thought of hating him the moment he pursed his lips and blew softly onto her tender cheek, causing the cut to sting from the coldness of his breath, affectively making it clot and slowly heal. She winced at the irritation but ignored it. She was actually too busy concentrating on the feeling of his soft breath on her bruised face. She was hypnotized by it and made a mental note of how nice it smelled. Something minty. She then naughtily began to ponder if that breath actually tasted as good as it smelled.

But this was Gippal. This was her childhood friend she was thinking about. To her, he was always like her annoying older brother, who would tease and ridicule her, occasionally protect her and even taught her how to throw her famous right hook. And she always assumed she was like the girl next door to him. She was just a friend and nothing more. She wasn't supposed to think about him in _that way_. It was wrong, right? She wasn't supposed to imagine what his cool breath tasted like. What those inviting lips would feel like pressed against her own. She wasn't supposed to fantasize about him moving closer to her, touching her, smelling her, holding her. What would her friends think? What would her father think? What would…what would _he_ think?

_Gippal…_

She didn't realize she was lost in her own fantasy world again, never noticing that the irritation had dissipated. Gippal pulled his face away from hers, though not completely. She didn't want him to anyhow. Never removing his hand from her face, he softly brushed his thumb lightly back and forth over her smooth cheek. She was strangely comfortable sitting here in the grimy dirt with him caressing her cheek with his soft touch. Although he had previously agitated the hell out of her, none of it mattered now. Her senses were overwhelmed with curious new emotions and she really liked it, even loved it. Who cared if it looked wrong to anyone else, it felt so right to her. She loved the way he looked down on her lovingly with his lone green eye. She loved that warmth that radiated from his body. She loved feeling that sense of a security any time he came near her. She looked up into his handsome face.

_She loved..._

"Better?" his soothing voice asked.

She hesitated her answer for a moment.

"Thank you." Her voice was no higher than a whisper. She was distracted, staring at his lips so near her own. Her heart was pounding in her chest and, panting slightly, she was terrified at what was about to happen. She knew it and she wanted it more than anything.

"You're welcome." He whispered back before reading her mind and leaning in to close the short distance between them with a gentle, almost surreal kiss.

He touched his lips lightly to hers and in that moment time around them had froze over and all of Spira stood in a hazy mist around her. Now that she finally knew what heaven felt like, there was nothing else in this world she wanted to feel more than the warmth of those lips against hers, to keep them there forever. She wanted to live with this warmth, this feeling, this love, with him forever. Nothing else existed in that pure blissful moment. Nothing else mattered but the two of them.

_Nothing else..._

However, all good things must come to an end.

She felt him slowly pull away and the warmth that she so suddenly fell in love with had disappeared.

"_Rikku?"_

She opened her eyes with call of her name and gasped. The world around her turned to dark and Gippal had vanished. She took her hand and stretched her arm into the void in front of her, touching the darkness with her fingers where he had been only seconds ago. All there was left now was the black, vacant surrounding. She came to the realization that she was alone.

"_Where-" _her voice echoed as she searched wildly around her for any sign of life.

"_Rikku…" _His echoed voice was altered, distant, and fading.

"_What?"_ She whipped around in the direction of the voice and panicked. No one was there though he was just here with her. Her mind raced. Why was this happening? Why did he leave her alone? Had she done something wrong? Why, why, why?

"Wake up, Rikku." Said the voice for the third time, loud and ever so clear.

"Why?" Rikku shouted as she shot up from where she slept. Her Eyes were wide and body gasping for air.

"Why? Because you're going to miss your ride, that's why."

"Huh?" She blurted stupidly and turned to see the owner of the voice, only to meet face to face with an aggravated looking Paine. She was standing at her bedside, dressed in her regular black leather attire. Her arms were crossed as usual, face expressionless like always, and attitude still not adjusted. That was good old Paine for you.

"You were dreaming." Paine stated as a matter of fact. " And from the looks of you, it must have been something good."

"I…" was the only coherent word a bewildered Rikku could articulate.

As if lied to, Rikku scanned the room for herself and it was indeed different from the previous bright and hazy surroundings she, and Gippal were just in. Rikku was still in Besaid and Gippal was never truly there. She closed her eyes with the sweet sounds of the ocean flowing in the background, and began to reminisce the fading dream that took her breath away before the realness faded completely.

She brushed her fingertips lightly against her lower lip, with a lost, blank look on her face. The warmth was still there.

"Out of bed sleepy head or you're going to miss the airship to Djose." Paine gave the blonde a rather hard pat on the back before turning to leave the small hut.

Rikku blinked at the retreating Paine and fell backwards into her warm, cozy bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Djose..."

* * *

Dun dun dun. What will happen next? Stay tuned to find out next time on On The Way Down. 


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